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Philosophy

The philosophy of Emeritus Vineyards is influenced by our founding winemaker, McDonald “Don” Blackburn. Don, born in Virginia, studied and worked in Burgundy for many years before returning to the United States. He believed that when Pinot Noir achieves its highest expression, there is no wine that can compare with it. Don observed that, historically, a disproportionately high number of the greatest wines have been Pinot Noir.

To achieve this distinction, the wine starts in the vineyard. The right combination of soil and climate is crucial to the vineyard’s expression of its terroir in the wine.

Soil gives wine its character

Climate gives wine its personality

Man gives wine its spirit or style

Emeritus wines reflect the character of the highly desirable Goldridge soils and the personality of the strong maritime influence. The style of Emeritus Pinot Noir is best described as one of elegance, balance, and—especially—charm.

"The particular focus of our intent is to make a wine that has balance as a characteristic of greater importance than intensity; a wine whose vineyard character is of greater importance than varietal character. Overall we want to make a wine that has a sense of balance, a sense of local authenticity. It will try to seduce you—and make you glad it did."
-Don Blackburn